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Some are turning to startups who are pivoting to using powerful chips to run quantum-inspired software on regular computers as they bide their time. In the past 18 months, quantum software startups including SandBoxAQ - an Alphabet spinoff - raised about $1 billion, according to data firm PitchBook. Ultimately, the software inspired by quantum physics won't perform well on quantum computers without some changes, said William Hurley, boss of Austin-based quantum software startup Strangeworks. Still, he said companies that start using them will have engineers "learning about quantum and the phenomenon and the process, which will better prepare them to use quantum computers at the point that they do so." Strangeworks, which also operates a cloud with over 60 quantum computers on it, raised $24 million last month from investors including IBM (IBM.N).

☆ Icahn and Khan make for odd bedfellows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Case in point is Illumina (ILMN.O), which on Monday was ordered by the Federal Trade Commission, led by Chair Lina Khan, to unwind its $7 billion acquisition of Grail (GRAL.O). This puts Khan on the same side as Carl Icahn, who wants Illumina to ditch the deal for seemingly opposite reasons. Illumina makes DNA sequencing machines used in medical research. The commission believes Illumina could use its dominance in DNA sequencing to hurt Grail’s competitors and raise prices. Icahn, on the other hand, worries Grail is burning Illumina’s cash, and this hurts the parent firm’s effort to keep ahead of rivals.

Small icons of scientific papers are lined up in a grid, each representing a study of medication abortion. Studies of abortion pills Each icon represents one study that reported serious complications after medication abortion. For pregnant women considering medication abortion, the alternatives would be childbirth or procedural abortion. Almost all patients will experience bleeding and pain during a medication abortion, because the pills essentially trigger a miscarriage. But the study itself notes that bleeding is expected, serious complications are rare and medication abortion is safe.

But unspent COVID aid is a small target, with less than $80 billion unspent as of January, White House budget figures show. CARPENTERS, VETERANS AND MEDICAL RESEARCHReclaiming unspent COVID funds would have real-world repercussions. A clawback could also affect veterans' healthcare, as the Department of Veterans Affairs has yet to spend $4.6 billion of the money it received for COVID-19 related care. Republican governors of Nebraska and Arkansas last year rejected a second round of aid for people behind on their rent. Republican Senator Rick Scott in January urged governors and mayors to voluntarily return that money to help pay down federal debt.

Chart showing the percentage cut the committee would make to each area of government spending to balance the budget over 10 years. 8 8 8 Deficit 6 6 6 4 4 4 Spending Spending Spending Revenue Revenue Revenue 2 2 2 2023 2033 2023 2033 2023 2033 Current projections Deficits are projected to grow to $2.7 trillion by 2033. 8 8 8 Deficit 6 6 6 4 4 4 Spending Spending Spending Revenue Revenue Revenue 2 2 2 2023 2033 2023 2033 2023 2033 Eliminate by increasing taxes Current projections Eliminate by cutting spending Deficits are projected to grow to $2.7 trillion by 2033. plan to balance budget 50% Projections 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 Current trajectory 200% of G.D.P. plan to balance budget 50% Projections 1930 1960 1990 2020 2050 Sources: Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget; Congressional Budget Office; Republican Study Committee Note: Both plans were released in 2022 and are based on outdated baseline projections; their debt reduction may differ modestly.

☆ Monkey Business Threatens U.S. Drug Discovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( David Wainer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The monkey business is in trouble. While many of us would prefer not to give it much thought, monkeys are often used in laboratory tests during the development of key medical products such as the Covid-19 vaccines. Sadly, the global trade in nonhuman primates can involve murky dealings, including smuggling of illegal animals. The resulting blowback is of great concern to America’s world-leading medical research.

☆ Putin has a secret brood of children being raised in luxury comparable to Russian tsars, report claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Putin has several young children with his rumored girlfriend, Alina Kabaeva, Proekt reported. He built a 13,000-square-foot mansion for them close to his main residence in Valdai, Proekt said. It is unclear how many children the couple share exactly, though Proekt reported they are all under the age of 18. In the summers of 2021, and 2022, a small karting track was set also up for the children, the outlet said. Putin's other childrenOver the years, Putin has fought hard to keep his children, and rumored girlfriends, from the spotlight.

☆ Europe will lose out on medical innovation if draft EU reforms pass -Novo Nordisk CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 2 (Reuters) - Europe will lose out to countries like the U.S. and Japan on new medical research, trials and treatments unless draft rules reforming the European pharmaceutical landscape change, the CEO of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) warned on Thursday. It says drugs need to reach patients more quickly and in all European nations. Novo's Lars Jorgensen lamented that without changes to the current draft, his company would be forced to research, test and bring products in its pipeline to market in the United States and elsewhere, instead of in Europe. A lose, lose, lose," he said in an interview. The Commission's current draft was leaked in Brussels last month and will likely change even before debate in the European parliament and among governments.

☆ How an AI breakthrough from Alphabet's DeepMind 'changed scientific history' and could lead to new cures
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

"AlphaFold has sparked a wave of innovation by showing people what's possible," said Chris Bahl, the chief scientist at AI Proteins, a Boston startup using AlphaFold to help develop drugs. "AlphaFold, amazing as it, is just the beginning," Demis Hassabis, the CEO of DeepMind, said on a podcast last year. AlphaFold2 was built with far more biological and physics knowledge of proteins, Jumper said. Next uses will be 'progressively harder' as DeepMind stays secretive on its future workJohn Jumper, a senior staff research scientist at DeepMind who helped develop AlphaFold. "But AI will also continue to progress rapidly, and the folks at DeepMind are very good, so I'm optimistic."

☆ Space, Life Science, and Quantum Computing Innovations
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With The Uk'S Department For Business | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

According to the Global Innovation Index 2022, global government R&D investment is growing and the UK is ranked fourth for global innovation (and third most innovative economy in Europe). "Space observation is vital for our planet — the UK invests in the European Space Agency and at the Space Cluster at Harwell, a significant science and innovation park." Jo Hawley, deputy director for aerospace, space and automotive at DBT, reported that the UK space sector spent £836 million on R&D in 2021. The company has reported strong growth of its life science research tools business, reflected in the international footprint of its commercial and distribution operations. The Department for Business and Trade can connect you with dedicated, professional assistance to locate R&D investment opportunities and support.

☆ Billionaire Ackman donates $3.25 million for ambulances in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has pledged $3.25 million to help buy more than a dozen ambulances for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's invasion, according to a fellow investor who cited a conversation with him. "I had breakfast with my college buddy Bill Ackman this morning, walked him through the attached slide deck I put together about my ambulances-for-Ukraine mission, and on the spot he agreed to donate $3.25 million," Tilson wrote in the email, dated Feb. 25. Ackman's hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management oversees roughly $16 billion in assets. Tilson has been leading an effort to buy ambulances for Ukraine that will be operated by humanitarian aid group MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station), which is based in Malta. Ackman, whose great-grandfather emigrated to the United States from Ukraine, has an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion, according to Forbes.

☆ Jerry Cox Pioneered Use of Computers in Biomedical Research
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( James R. Hagerty | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As a teenager in Indiana in the late 1930s, Jerry Cox took apart a radio, figured out how it worked, and decided he wanted to be an electrical engineer. A decade later, after serving in the Army in Italy during World War II, he got a job at an acoustics laboratory to help pay for his electrical engineering studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Those studies led to a job at the Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis, where he helped build a device to detect deafness in newborns and facilitate early treatment.

☆ Elon Musk's Neuralink is under investigation for possible unsafe transport of contaminated hardware
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Elon Musk's brain-computer interface company Neuralink is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation for allegedly packaging and transporting contaminated hardware in an unsafe manner, a DOT spokesperson confirmed to CNBC. PCRM claimed the materials were not properly contained or transported, possibly because Neuralink employees had not received proper safety training. The staffer wrote that if Neuralink employees had not completed the necessary training, UC Davis personnel were "always happy" to package and ship materials. PCRM obtained these records from UC Davis through a public information request. Representatives from UC Davis did not respond to requests for comment.

☆ U.S. investigating Elon Musk's Neuralink over hazardous pathogens
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Rachael Levy | Thomson Reuters | Award-Winning Journalist Covering Corporate Governance. Her Reporting Has Prompted Federal Investigations | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Feb 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Transportation said on Thursday it is investigating Elon Musk's brain-implant company Neuralink over the potentially illegal movement of hazardous pathogens. The Department of Transportation spokesperson said the agency took PCRM's allegations "very seriously." Reuters reviewed the UC Davis records cited by PCRM in its letter. Neuralink messages and records not shared with UC Davis are not subject to such information requests. A UC Davis spokesperson would only say that the university abides by all biohazard and lab safety regulations.

☆ Elon Musk's Neuralink may have illegally transported pathogens, animal advocates say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Rachael Levy | Thomson Reuters | Award-Winning Journalist Covering Corporate Governance. Her Reporting Has Prompted Federal Investigations | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Reuters reviewed the UC Davis records cited by PCRM in its letter. PCRM obtained the records from UC Davis through public information requests. Neuralink messages and records not shared with UC Davis are not subject to such information requests. A UC Davis spokesperson would only say that the university abides by all biohazard and lab safety regulations. During its partnership with UC Davis, Neuralink grew frustrated with what it regarded as the slow pace of testing on primates, current and former company employees told Reuters, and has since built out extensive in-house animal testing facilities.

☆ These innovation stocks owned by Cathie Wood have double-digit upside, according to analysts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Cathie Wood just scored her best month ever as her innovation stocks staged a big comeback, and some of her darlings still have double-digit upside ahead, according to Wall Street analysts. Wood's flagship Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK) jumped 27.8% in January alone, notching its strongest month since its inception in 2014 . We looked at companies with at least five analysts covering them, and these names below all have more than 10% upside in the next 12 months, according to FactSet. Wall Street analysts are most bullish on Ginkgo Bioworks , seeing the stock rally more than 140% in the next 12 months. Other biotech names in the space that analysts love are Verve Therapeutics , CRISPR Therapeutics , Beam Therapeutics and Twist Bioscience.

He has a net worth of $67.6 billion, according to Forbes, and spends much of it on charity. But he also pours money into real estate, especially in Hawaii, and cars. The Meta founder and CEO's fortune surpassed $100 billion last year, making him one of 10 centi-billionaires on the planet. Zuckerberg mostly keeps a low profile, but he does splurge on real estate — especially in the tropical paradise that is Hawaii. Here's how the tech mogul spends his billions, from cars to properties to charity.

☆ Another Covid surge in China is the global supply chain's biggest fear, but it may be overstated
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowAnother wave of Covid infections in China is the biggest fear for supply chain managers, but those whose companies were impacted by the first pandemic wave are optimistic the impact will be short-lived. Reduction in workforce is a major factor in the CNBC Supply Chain Heat Map for China, with heavy congestion at the ports. ContainerX, a major platform for container logistics, said its data shows 73% of supply chain officials expect a disruption after Lunar New Year. One of the biggest lessons learned during the pandemic by manufacturers and supply chain executives was to understand tier two, three, and four suppliers at a deeper level. CNBC's Supply Chain Heat Map shows how the weaker global economic conditions are influencing U.S.- China shipping routes.

☆ Brazil's Yanomami region looks like ‘concentration camp,’ says official
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“It looks like a concentration camp,” Tapeba, a doctor appointed to the position by Brazil’s new government, said in a radio interview. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left, visits the Yanomami Indigenous Health House (Casai) in the Boa Vista rural area, Roraima state, Brazil, on Saturday. “It’s an extreme calamity, many Yanomami are suffering from malnutrition and there is a total absence of the Brazilian state,” Tapeba said. This can only be resolved by removing the gold miners and that can only be done by the armed forces,” he said. Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered the removal of the gold miners.

☆ Digital twins are set for rapid adoption in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Bob Violino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

This avatar is a personalised, hyper-realistic, 3D, #seriezero digital twin that they can use to interact on digital platforms and in the metaverse. In life sciences, digital twins are being used to create twins of human organs, enabling new approaches to medical research and care, Diana said. "We are going to see digital twins adopted rapidly in 2023, in many different industries," Diana said. Digital twins are gaining momentum in adoption and sophistication as more organizations see positive outcomes from the early adopters, Barrington said. "As more twins of critical assets and processes come online, leaders will leverage digital twins to not only model and simulate their supply chain, but to optimize and automate a dynamic and intelligent supply chain model — all orchestrated by digital twins," Barrington said.

The only HIV vaccine in a late-stage trial has failed, researchers announced Wednesday, dealing a significant blow to the effort to control the global HIV epidemic and adding to a decadeslong roster of failed attempts. “I don’t think that people should give up on the field of the HIV vaccine,” Fauci said. Fauci said that a critical limitation of the Mosaico vaccine was that it elicited what are known as non-neutralizing — as opposed to neutralizing — antibodies against HIV. As with the Thai trial, the hope is to channel research findings into future HIV vaccine development. To prove a vaccine works, researchers must recruit participants who remain at substantial risk of HIV over time.

☆ China's big cities are starting to look past Covid, while rural areas brace for infections
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Subway passenger traffic in Shanghai is quickly returning to levels seen before the latest Covid wave, according to Wind data. Subway and road data show traffic in major cities is rebounding, he pointed out, indicating the worst of the latest Covid wave has passed. "The dramatic U-turn in China's Covid policy since mid-Nov implies deeper short-term economic contraction but faster reopening and recovery," Hu said in a report Wednesday. In the last several days, the southern city of Guangzhou and the tourist destination of Sanya said they'd passed the peak of the Covid wave. watch nowChongqing was the most congested city in mainland China during Thursday morning's rush hour, according to Baidu traffic data.

☆ Colorado funeral home operators sentenced for selling body parts without permission
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Phil-Helsel-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Phil Helsel | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Two Colorado funeral home operators who sold body parts or bodies in a scheme a prosecutor called “horrific” were sentenced to prison Tuesday, officials said. They operated Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose, a city of around 20,000 in western Colorado, and stole and sold body parts or bodies from 2010 to 2018, prosecutors said. The bodies or body parts of hundreds of people were stolen, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Prosecutors said that in addition to stealing bodies and body parts, they sold remains of those who had infectious diseases but falsely certified them as disease-free. When entire bodies were sold, cremated remains were returned to families that weren’t those of their loved ones.

☆ Health tech and biotech startups landed $88 billion in funding in 2022. See 16 of the hottest pitch decks founders used to raise millions from investors.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Here are 16 of the pitch decks used by health and biotech founders to attract investor funds. Check out the 24-slide pitch deck Ria Health used to raise $18 million. Check out the 18-slide pitch deck Healthie used to raise $16 million. Check out the 15-slide pitch deck Patchwork Health used to raise the funds. Check out the 16-slide pitch deck Dalan Animal Health used to raise $3.5 million.

They promoted and delivered vaccines, developed prevention strategies, monitored data and did a million other unheralded things to help weave a stronger public health safety net. Meanwhile, top health officials are warning that persistent vaccine misinformation remains a serious public health threat. Particularly in vulnerable communities where access to vaccines, therapeutics and good information are lacking, there is much work to be done. And this common-sense principle is still true: When you enact and maintain good policies, good things happen. In the past two weeks, deaths from Covid are up 63%, a possible harbinger of things to come in 2023.

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